South Africa stands at a precipice. Minister Angie Motshekga, in her 2025/26 Defence Budget speech, assured the nation that we can “still sleep peacefully” and are “safe for now.”
These words, meant to comfort, instead expose a chilling truth: our national defence is teetering on the edge of inadequacy.
With a budget of R57.183 billion for the South African National Defence Force(SANDF), of which 64% (R36.703 billion) is swallowed by salaries, the state is failing its constitutional mandate to protect citizens from foreign and domestic threats. A single terrorist attack, a border incursion, or widespread violent protests could shatter our fragile peace, leaving South Africans in grave danger.
This is not scaremongering—it’s a wake-up call.
To secure our sovereignty, we must confront corruption, curb wasteful expenditure, and ignite economic growth to fund a military worthy of a sovereign nation.
The SANDF’s dire state is laid bare in the 2025/26 budget estimates. With only R12billion left after salaries, accommodation (R2.773 billion), peacekeeping(R2.556 billion for SAMIDRC), and other fixed costs like Armscor transfers(R1.464 billion) and SADC contributions (R487 million), the SANDF is left scrambling to maintain operational readiness.
Most of its prime mission equipment—aircraft, naval vessels, and land systems—is either outdated or non-functional, with only R480 million allocated for maritime defence repairs and R300 million for day-to-day maintenance. The minister’s speech admits to “ongoing financial constraints” that “badly affect our planning and operations.” This is not a force ready to repel a foreign invasion or quell domestic unrest. It’s a skeleton crew, stretched thin, barely able to maintain its bases, let alone respond to a crisis.
Imagine a terrorist cell crossing our porous borders—South Africa allocates a paltryR200 million for border safeguarding vehicles and technology. Or picture widespread violent protests, like those in 2021, erupting across multiple provinces. The SANDF, already strained by deployments in the Democratic Republic of Congo (R2.4 billion for 2,900 troops in 2024/25) and Mozambique(R550 million), lacks the resources to deploy domestically at scale.
The budget documents reveal a stark reality: the SANDF’s operational assets are crumbling, and its human resources are aging out, with a “deliberate and phased approach” to rejuvenation that sounds more like a bureaucratic excuse than a solution.
If a single significant threat emerges, the SANDF will be overwhelmed, leaving citizens vulnerable to chaos and violence.
This crisis stems from a deeper malaise: South Africa’s stagnant economy and rampant corruption. The minister’s speech highlights the government’s focus on “sustainable and rapid growth of the economy,” yet the defence budget, at less than 1%of GDP, is a fraction of what comparable nations invest. Countries like India and Brazil, with similar developmental challenges, allocate 2-3% of GDP to defence, ensuring modern, capable forces. South Africa’s economy, strangled by mismanagement and state capture, cannot generate the revenue needed to fund a robust military. The budget documents note a R1 billion reallocation from the Administration to the General Support programme to cover municipal service shortfalls and maintenance—money shuffled around because of historical arrears and poor planning by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. This is not strategic investment; it’s a desperate patch job.
Corruption and wasteful expenditure exacerbate the problem.
The minister pledges to address “procurement and human resource irregularities” through “strengthened internal controls,” but these are empty promises without action. The Department of Defence’s digitisation plans and oversight bodies are steps in the right direction, but they’re too little, too late. Billions have been siphoned off through irregular contracts and mismanagement, as Auditor-General reports have repeatedly shown.
Every rand stolen is a rand not spent on modernising equipment, training soldiers, or securing borders.
The SANDF’s “Soldier First” ethos, championed by Motshekga, rings hollow when soldiers lack functional gear, habitable facilities, or adequate support during deployments.
The solution lies in bold, sweeping action.
First, South Africa must ignite economic growth to expand the fiscal pie.
The minister’s speech mentions repositioning the South African Defence Industry(SADI) to drive job creation and innovation, but this requires a broader economic strategy. Deregulating markets, reducing bureaucratic red tape, and fostering private-sector investment can boost GDP, creating the revenue needed for defence. A thriving economy would allow South Africa to increase its defence budget to at least 2% of GDP, funding modern equipment, cyber defence capabilities, and a rejuvenated workforce.
Second, the government must wage war on corruption.
The minister’s commitment to governance and accountability must translate into prosecutions, not just promises. Transparent procurement, rigorous audits, and severe penalties for malfeasance can redirect billions back to the SANDF. The Defence Force Service Commission and Military Ombud, highlighted in the speech, must be empowered to root out waste and ensure every rand is spent wisely.
Finally, South Africa must prioritise defence as a cornerstone of sovereignty.
The minister’s draft policies – “Future Defence Capstone Policy Concept” and “Military Strategy 2025-2055” – are under discussion, but they must not languish in bureaucratic limbo. These strategies should mandate a modern, agile SANDF capable of addressing 21st-century threats: terrorism, cyberattacks, and regional instability. The budget’s focus on peacekeeping (R2.6 billion over the MTEF for regional security) is noble, but domestic security must come first.
A nation that cannot protect its own people cannot project power abroad.
South Africans deserve better than to “sleep peacefully for now.” Our fragile peace hangs by a thread, and the SANDF, starved of funds and crippled by systemic failures, is no match for the threats we face. Economic growth ,anti-corruption measures, and a renewed commitment to defence are not just policy options—they are imperatives. Without them, South Africa risks becoming a nation undefended, where a single spark of violence could ignite catastrophe.
The state’s core responsibility is to protect its citizens. It’s time to act like it.
* Published by ZNN Media
